Sharp's semiconductor unit is reported to be working on a new Blu-Ray laser diode that will bring 8x reading speeds in the HD industry until 2010. The company also plans to release a 250mW blue laser diode with only 6x speeds in a two-year timeframe.

During yesterday's conference in Japan, Sharp showcased its latest High-Power Blue-Violet Laser Diode for Blu-Ray recorders, that can deliver enough power to burn dual-layer Blu-ray Discs at speeds of up to 6x. According to the company executives, Sharp plans to start mass-manufacturing the 6x laser diode, in April this year.

Called the GH04P25A4G, the Blu-Ray laser diode is built using a proprietary technology with a facet structure. The diode is extremely compact and measures only 3.3 millimeters in diameter, which qualifies it for integration within the next generation of slim notebook Blu-Ray burners. The second showcased model is slightly larger and measures 5.6 millimeters. The later is primarily targeted at desktop Blu-Ray drives.

However, the company's next target is set for a more powerful laser diode that will be able to burn single and dual-layer Blu-ray discs at 8x. The tiny component will have a total power of 300 mW. The company estimated that the new Blu-Ray diode will be ready for mass-production in mid-2009.

Right after its public release, Sharp also plans to introduce a high-end blue laser diode, in the 400 mW class, that is alleged to allow multi-layer recording at between 8 and 12x speeds, but it won't arrive sooner than 2010.

As far as the more power-hungry red laser diodes are concerned, the company plans to release the final series of laser diodes for high-speed DVD recorders, slated for mass-availability in April.

The latest product in the series will be the GH16P40A8C LED, that is expected to arrive in a miniaturized form factor (just 1.8 millimeters). It will deliver 400mW red laser pulses and will be able to burn dual-layer DVDs at the highest available speeds supported by the medium.